Sadness and sorrow

Articles, Films and practical Guides on sadness and sorrow, part of Psyche’s coverage of disorders and difficulties.
Black-and-white photo of a man walking past another dressed as a bishop on a cobblestone street at night.
DIFFICULT EMOTIONS

The ‘melancholic joy’ of living in our brutal, beautiful world

Beyond simple contentment or despair, there’s a ‘melancholic joy’ in looking, clear-eyed, at our brutal, beautiful world

by Brian Treanor

Photo of a glass shattering on a grey surface with shards scattered mid-air and on the ground.
GRIEF
17

Grief is not a process with five stages. It is shattered glass

The five stages describe a grief that’s knowable and controlled. An accident in my kitchen helped me find a truer metaphor

by Joshua Thomas

Abstract painting of intertwined human figures with organic shapes and muted colours, creating a surreal and dynamic composition.
SADNESS AND SORROW

When emotions rot, they compost and transform into something new

A self that fractures through loss or grief marks a psychological shift, beginning a cycle of regrowth through decomposition

by Kelsey Day

Painting of a young woman in a black dress reclining on a red chair against a red wall holding a white handkerchief.
SADNESS AND SORROW
7

Avoiding sadness can backfire, here’s how to turn towards it

Everyone has stretches of sadness. Shifting how you think about and relate to sad feelings could help you through these times

by Beth Kurland

Photo of a burning tower with smoke, reflects a man and woman standing nearby in an urban setting.
EMOTIONS
6

What it means for something to ‘sink in’ emotionally

The impact of important events is more than an emotion or mood – it must ‘sink in’, which is a process that unfolds in time

by Matthew Ratcliffe

A photo showing a person holding a bouquet of mixed flowers wrapped in brown paper, viewed from above and behind.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

The words that make an apology convincing

Research on the psychology of apologising finds that certain word choices are more convincing because of their mental cost

by Alice Gregory

A person with a backpack hiking through a dense forest towards a rocky riverbank.
DEPRESSION

In the hole

A metaphor for depression became a catalyst, and I started to reinvent my approach to suffering

by Tasha Eichenseher

A person pushing a bike through a muddy landfill with debris under an overcast sky, distant hills and houses.
DIFFICULT EMOTIONS
3

Despair can help us mourn lost futures and chart new paths

Hope is indispensable. But when false hope blinds us to reality, a short bout of despair might be the antidote we need

by Juliette Vazard

Illustration of a person carrying a child on shoulders under a tree with yellow leaves on a pink background.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Dreamlike fragments capture the pain and beauty of a father-daughter bond

Directed by Susi Haaning